Although Shadow Kingdom Records is the home for mainly Doom Metal bands, the release of the second effort of Canadians black metallers DEMONTAGE was not a surprise; the mixture of heavy Thrash , Black Metal attitude with the chaotic doom passages that colours DEMONTAGE sound, is a capable and needful condition to be the alternate child of a 'sentenced' and doom label. "The Principal Extinction" is DEMONTAGE's second album, since the band counts almost 9 years of creation and if you consider yourselves as open-minded Black Metal fans, maybe this one would have a chance to enter your collection.

Through DEMONTAGE's eyes, Black Metal is not only eerie atmosphere, scrabbled guitars and creepy vocals, but epic, heavy and pure melodies coming from the glorious past of bands like BATHORY, CIRITH UNGOL, BROCAS HELM and even ZEMIAL and my interest becomes to grow up increasingly. The main characteristics made disrespectfully an appearance after the very first listening of "The Principal Extinction", marking the vintage production and the old-school heaviness. The average time duration of the six songs overruns six minutes and it's a fact a third 'six' is missing... Spatilomantis does an excellent job in vocals variety, remaining at dissent and gentle growling, while Abominatrix seems to have no mercy on his drum kit. Some throat influences from the King himself (a.k.a. King Diamond) are obvious while the occult and misty atmosphere completes successfully the timbre that DEMONTAGE want to give.

I mostly prefer "Accursed Saboteur" for its merciless riffing, reminding me something from the early SODOM / SLAYER and the epic "Satan of Self (The Warrior) & Seer of Truths (The Conjurer)" beginning with the sound of glutton flames and a pompous and prompt guitar theme that MANOWAR would like to compose some years ago. The only minor on this one is the weak vocals during the refrain part that slip up out of tune; but maybe it's a kind of trick to underline the cult-ness of the condition. And yes, you can weep with no fear in 04:42, accompanying the solid guitar interlude of 'The Conjurer'.

I can not tell if "The Principal Extinction" is something you had never hear before in your whole life or if DEMONTAGE would help you to find your own America, as a new 'Columbus'; one thing is certain: with releases like this one, pure Metal will long live in the centuries of the centuries. And what an optimistic message is that for our beloved music!